In shortThese six tours all run flat-bottomed, propeller-driven airboats into the swamp near New Orleans, with the captain narrating in English and ear protection on the boats that list it. They range from the 1.5-hour Luling trip, from $67, and the 1 hour 40 minute runs at the Marrero dock, from $65, to 4 hours 15 minutes door to door with hotel pickup and drop-off, from $90. Take a short one if you have a car, a longer one with transport if you do not, and a six or nine passenger boat if photos matter to you.
6tours compared
from $49per adult
★ 4.92132 reviews
Large Airboat with Hotel Pickup
4 h 15 min · from $90 · ★ 4.9 (2132)
Suits travellers without a car who want the 1 hour and 40 minute ride on a 16-passenger airboat with captain narration and transport from downtown hotels handled.
See this tour
New Orleans Airboat Ride
2–4 h · from $49 · ★ 4.7 (5266)
Suits anyone who wants to choose the boat, from the premium group limited to 6 people to a small airboat of up to 10 or a large one of up to 30, with ear protection, unobstructed views and self-drive or pickup options.
See this tour
Small-Group Airboat with Downtown Pickup
4 h 15 min · from $115 · ★ 4.9 (1798)
Suits visitors who want a maximum of nine passengers on a 1 hour and 40 minute airboat tour 35 minutes from New Orleans, with hotel pickup and drop-off included.
See this tour
Small-Group Airboat from the Marrero Dock
1 h 40 min · from $89 · ★ 4.9 (803)
Suits drivers who want a six or nine passenger boat with flotation jackets and a professional guide, and only 1 hour 40 minutes away from the dock at 9706 Barataria Blvd.
See this tour
Large Airboat from the Marrero Dock
1 h 40 min · from $65 · ★ 4.9 (207)
Suits drivers on a tight schedule who want a mix of high speed runs and stops for pictures, 35 minutes from New Orleans with a local professional guide.
See this tour
Luling Airboat Swamp Tour
1.5 h · from $67 · ★ 4.9 (389)
Suits visitors who want 1.5 hours on private land at Luling with no idle zones and no other boats on the property, reached by air-conditioned coach from a downtown New Orleans hotel.
See this tourPhotos: the tour operator
What a New Orleans airboat swamp tour is actually like
An airboat is a flat-bottomed boat pushed by an aircraft-style propeller at the back. That is why ear protection comes with the ride on the boats that list it, and why these boats cross shallow water and matted vegetation a covered swamp boat has to go around. Each trip alternates between stretches at speed and quieter spells while the captain narrates and people take photographs.
The Marrero departures run in the Barataria wetlands, 35 minutes from New Orleans, and the 1.5 hour trip operates on private land near Luling. Captains point out alligators, snakes, turtles, egrets and herons, with moss-covered cypress and tupelo-gum trees along the bayous. Sightings shift through the year, and the operator notes that gators are more commonly spotted in summer months.
Boat size changes the trip more than the price does. A 16-passenger or large airboat takes you through the same channels with more people aboard; a six or nine passenger boat turns into narrower water and leaves everyone a clear line of sight. If you plan to shoot pictures, choose by passenger count first and by duration second.
Which airboat tour fits you
Arriving without a car, take the Large Airboat Swamp Tour with Transportation from New Orleans: 4 hours 15 minutes, from $90, with hotel pickup and drop-off from downtown hotels and 1 hour and 40 minutes on a 16-passenger boat.
Wanting a smaller boat with the driving still handled, the Small-Group Airboat Swamp Tour with Downtown New Orleans Pickup caps the boat at nine passengers, runs 4 hours 15 minutes, from $115, and includes the same pickup and drop-off.
Drivers save hours. The New Orleans Large Airboat Swamp Tour is 1 hour 40 minutes, from $65, and the small-group version of the same departure is from $89 with a maximum of six or nine passengers. Both leave from 9706 Barataria Blvd in Marrero, and both ask you to be there at least 20 minutes early.
If you are fussy about boat size or budget, the New Orleans Airboat Ride is 2-4 hours, from $49, and is sold as a premium group of 6, a small airboat of up to 10 or a large airboat of up to 30, with ear protection and round-trip transportation if you select that option.
On a short slot, the Airboat Swamp Tour at Luling runs 1.5 hours, from $67, with hearing protection, no idle zones and no other boats on the property.
Families with very young children should check the age requirements before booking any airboat; New Orleans & Company advises that slower swamp boat tours suit families with young kids better.
Before you book
- The two 1 hour 40 minute tours leave from Barataria Blvd, Marrero, at 9706 Barataria Blvd, Marrero, LA 70072; plan to arrive at least 20 minutes before the tour time, because the boats depart on time and the start cannot be delayed.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off is included on the Large Airboat Swamp Tour with Transportation and on the Small-Group Airboat Swamp Tour with Downtown New Orleans Pickup, both from downtown hotels.
- On the New Orleans Airboat Ride, pickups begin 1 hour and 15 minutes before the tour time if you choose that option; the self-drive option has no hotel pickup, and the operator states there are no rideshare or taxi services to this area.
- Driving to that facility, turn right on Texas Street, the next right, not Fleming Park Rd, to enter.
- Ear protection is included on the New Orleans Airboat Ride and hearing protection on the Airboat Swamp Tour at Luling; airboat engines are loud and the trips run at speed.
- Safety flotation jackets are included on the New Orleans Small-Group Airboat Swamp Tour from the Marrero dock.
- Food and drinks and gratuities are not included on these tours; the New Orleans Airboat Ride has a gift shop and bar on site, and the Luling trip does not include bottled water, soda or alcoholic drinks.
- Mosquitoes are active most of the year in these wetlands, so bring insect repellent, and wear closed-toe shoes as the Park Service advises for outdoor activity.
- Feeding alligators and other wildlife is prohibited in Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, and the Park Service instructs visitors never to approach, harass or feed them.
Tour details from the operator's listing, checked 3 November 2026. Prices and times can change; the booking page has the current ones.
More ways to plan your visit
